Ohlone College Monitor, April 3, 2014

OHLONE COLLEGE

MONITOR BOARD PRESIDENT

THURSDAY APRIL 3, 2014 Vol. XLVII No. 5

Ohlone baseball team defeats College of San Mateo at home 5-3.

See story on page 7

CAMPUS EVENT

Program aims to end bullying

FUNDRAISER

Tradition remembers victims “Out of the Darkness” campus walk helps those affected by suicide

COURTESY OF GARRETT YEE

Ohlone College Board of Trustees President Garrett Yee will deploy for a third tour of duty in Kuwait in May.

MONITOR STAFF

Yee set to deploy LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief As if being the president of the Ohlone College Board of Trustees while serving as an Army Reserve brigadier general and maintaining employment at a statistical data company weren’t enough, Garrett Yee’s plate just got a little bit fuller.

Yee has been tagged for his third tour of duty overseas, this time heading to Kuwait for a year, departing in May. “I was expecting it. I actually got a heads-up a while back but it wasn’t locked in until recently,” Yee said.

“I will be responsible for communications of structures in the region, among other things.”

This being his third deployment,Yee seemed a little more comfortable with the process and what needs to be done in order to maintain some normalcy at home.

“I will take a leave of absence from the board and work,” Yee said.

“This is the third time that I have officially done this, so it is a little easier.”

Yee’s four-year term as Continued on Page 3

FREMONT, CA OHLONEMONITOR.COM

LOUIS LAVENTURE /MONITOR

Brenda Montgomery shows a photo of herself as a child in Texas to a group of students from Ohlone and local high schools who shared their experiences with bullying on Wednesday.

College, high school students share social experiences in safe environment LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief With the Earth constantly changing, things tend to adapt to stay alive.

Unfortunately, adaptation is not just limited to positive aspects of life.

Bullying has adapted to the times and taken on so many new forms that it is be-

coming increasingly difficult to control, especially with the advent of social media.

On Wednesday, putting a stop to bullying got a huge boost in the form of a panel discussion during Brenda Montgomery’s sociology class on the Fremont campus.

High school students, as well as Ohlone students from Montgomery’s psychology and sociology classes, were invited to share their bullying experiences.

Montgomery, having been born with a birth defect that

impaired her left arm, is very familiar with bullying.

“My family, especially my parents, did not want me to worry about my birth defect, so they would tell me that it is a gift and how lucky I was that God loved me more and gave me this special gift,” Montgomery said.

On her first day of elementary school, though, Montgomery figured out what was going to come from having this impairment.

“This was not a gift. Gifts are supposed to be fun and Continued on Page 3

More than a fifth of Ohlone College students have considered committing suicide, and 2.3 percent have attempted it, according to a 2010 survey.

With these sobering statistics in mind, the college will hold its annual Out of the Darkness campus walk April 14 to remember those who have been lost due to suicide and raise money for suicide prevention.

Ohlone’s first Out of the Darkness walk was held in April 2011 in memory of Stewart Dawson, a campus police officer who took his own life the previous year.

Dawson’s mother, sister and nephews will attend this year’s walk.

Participants will meet in the Quad on the Fremont campus and walk twice around the campus perimeter, a distance of about 2.4 miles.

Check-in and on-site registration will begin at 11 a.m., the walk will begin at noon and closing ceremonies will be held at 1 p.m.

The goal is to raise $4,000 for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. The organization funds research and education programs to prevent suicide and save lives; increases national awareness about depression Continued on Page 3

RUNYON HONORED

Softball coach to receive prestigious award LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief TheCaliforniaCommunity College Coaches Association is honoring Ohlone College softball coach Donna Runyon with their 2014 Coaching Achievement Award.

Runyon was nominated for the award by her peers, and was notified through a letter last month noting her dedication and mentoring of players.

“Coach has been around the game for so long and

I just want to soak up as much knowledge as I can,” freshman pitcher RaeAnn Garza said.

Runyon has compiled an astounding record in her 35-year coaching career, including 27 years at Ohlone.

Runyon has accumulated a staggering 875 wins in her career including capturing the Coast Conference title nine years in a row from 2003 to 2011.

“I know that we’re going to lose games, but I never want to lose the lesson,” Runyon

said. “I teach my teams to always strive to be 1 percent better every day.”

The Lady Renegades are 19-10 overall and 8-3 in conference play with just nine games remaining in the regular season.

Runyon noted that she has much bigger concerns than wins and losses, even with her 900th victory rapidly approaching.

“What makes me proudest of my time at Ohlone is watching my players get degrees and moving on.”

HUNG NGUYEN / MONITOR

Ohlone softball coach Donna Runyon talks strategy with RaeAnn Garza and Alyssa Raguini during a home game in March in Fremont.

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NEWS

MONITOR APRIL 3, 2014

NEWS BITES Book signing, sing-along coming There will be a singalong and book signing Tuesday in the cafeteria on the Fremont campus for a new music book written for Ohlone’s vocal students.

The sing-along begins at 12:30 p.m. Afterward, students in Janet Holmes’ voice class will sign copies of the book, “11 Folk Songs Plus One.” The book includes photos from Monitor Photo Editor Tam Duong Jr.

No bus service at lower loop

COURTESY OF MARIA RAMIREZ

Aztec dancers perform traditional dances during the first day of the Latina Leadership Network Conference in Newark last month.

Newark campus hosts Latina conference LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief The Ohlone College Newark campus had the privilege of hosting the 27th annual Latina Leadership Network of California Community Colleges statewide conference over spring break, March 27-29.

The event drew the maximum number of attendees, 185, selling out weeks in advance and forcing the network to turn away some potential visitors at Ohlone, which was hosting the conference for the first time.

“The Latina Leadership Network had some rough times, including losing a lot of money through a hotel that handled a previous conference,” Ohlone coun-

selor and network co-chair Maria Ramirez said. “We just thought that the Newark campus is so nice, why not have it here.”

The three-day event, themed “Leading, Loving, Living – Life in Balance,” was filled with several activities for attendees to enjoy that included workshops, guest speakers, dancing, vendors and awards.

Ohlone Indian descendant Andrew Galvan, curator at Mission Dolores in San Francisco, graced the crowd with an opening blessing on Thursday to kick off the three-day conference, which was dazzled by keynote speaker Rita Cepeda.

“It was a wonderful day and it truly replenished

Man arrested in peeping incident on Newark campus MONITOR STAFF A male student was arrested Tuesday evening on suspicion of looking into the women’s restroom stalls on the Newark campus, police said.

About 6:10 p.m., a woman told campus police that a man had entered the women’s restroom and looked over the stalls.

Campus police found the man, who was identified by the woman, and Newark police were called in to assist.

Alusine Danfa, 20, of San Jose was arrested on a misdemeanor charge, Newark police said.

The female student wasn’t injured or threatened, police said.

Campus police Chief Steve Osawa reminded the Ohlone community to report suspicious activity immediately.

“This female student reported the incident immediately and that resulted in the identification and arrest of the perpetrator,” he said.

me,” Cepeda said. “The Latina Leadership Network is an amazing vehicle. I particularly loved being with my students from Evergreen College and San Jose City College – their faces said it all.”

Workshops, speakers and a dance rounded out Friday, which many felt was a huge part of the success of the conference.

“The spiritual holistic vibe of the conference enlightened me and many others,” said Carol Justiniano, executive board member of the Latina Leadership Network.

“We don’t get much of that in Los Angeles, so when we do, we don’t want to let it go.”

Attendees gushed over

how well things ran and how informative and fun the conference was, giving Ramirez lots of hope for the network.

“Bringing the conference back to a college named after native people was really important to us,” she said.

“It starts with a dream but it can become a reality.

Now we know that the fire is still there.”

Ramirez also noted that the network wants to help change the typical stereotypes that surround Latinas.

“We don’t see a lot of success in the media that portrays us very stereotypically,” Ramirez said.

“Our roots are very strong with lots of balance and lots of contributions to society.”

Religious fervor

AC Transit Lines 210 and 217 will not drop off and pick up passengers Friday at the stop in the lower loop near the baseball field because of water valve installation work.

Buses will continue to serve the upper bus loop by the pond, and regular service to the lower loop is expected to be restored by Monday.

Healthy-eating workshop to be held today A healthy-eating workshop will be held today on the Fremont campus.

“Life in the Fast Lane: A Guide to Healthy Eating” will be from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 7101.

The hour-long seminar will help attendees to outline a one-day menu plan using food choices that promote health goals; identify three factors needed for hassle-free nutritious food preparation at home; and discover two ways to improve the healthfulness of food choices away from home.

To RSVP for the workshop, go to www.surveym o n k e y. c o m / s / YQ G 9BRB

Speech series returns

LOUIS LAVENTURE / MONITOR

A man preaches in the Quad on the Fremont campus on Friday.

The Speech and Communications department speaker series returns at 1 p.m. Friday in Room 3102 with “The Dangers of Negative Self-Talk” with speaker RaeAnn Ianniello.

–Compiled by Monitor staff

NEWS

MONITOR APRIL 3, 2014

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Yee to take leave of absence MONITOR OHLONE COLLEGE

STAFF: Editor-in-Chief: Louis LaVenture News editor: Shannon Sorge Features editor: Louis LaVenture Sports editor: Louis LaVenture Opinions editor: Louis LaVenture

Continued from Page 1 a trustee will expire in December, creating some campaigning issues. However, Yee confirmed that he plans to seek re-election.

“I will definitely be running again,” he said.

Two weeks ago, Trustee Kevin Bristow announced he would step down after accepting a job at the University of California, Merced.

Trustees plan to appoint a new board member to fill Bristow’s position from mid-May until the next election in November. The deadline to apply for the

position is April 16.

Yee is scheduled to return in May 2015, so if he is re-elected in November the board will have only six members until he returns.

Still, college officials are very familiar with the process, having been through two of Yee’s deployments already.

“This will be Garrett’s third deployment,” college President Gari Browning said. “I don’t anticipate a big issue or a big void there. Garrett’s great, but we have several experienced board members now, so we’re in good shape.”

COURTESY OF GARRETT YEE

Garrett Yee, left, is promoted to brigadier general in May 2013.

Photo editor: Tam Duong Jr. Online editor: Shannon Sorge Advertising coordinator: Sujin Park Monitor Staff: Erika Heredia Magdalena Jurys Sruthie Kondamoori Alizaib Lodhi Hung Ngyuen Ryan Parcher Adviser: Rob Dennis Printer: FP Press

LOUIS LAVENTURE / MONITOR

Ohlone student Pete Noga speaks about bullying Wednesday during Brenda Montgomery’s class on the Fremont campus.

Speakers recall experiences with bullying

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CONTACT US: Offices: Room 5310 Call: 510.659.6075 E-mail: monitor@ohlone. edu Read: facebook.com/ Ohlone.Monitor www.ohlonemonitor.com

Opinions expressed in the Monitor are those of the respective authors and are not necessarily those of the staff, the college or the Associated Students of Ohlone College.

special – this is a curse,” Montgomery said. “I must have been the only kid who hated recess because I knew I would be on display in a corner by myself trying to hide my arm not to draw attention.”

Ohlone student Breanna Ludington shared her interesting story with the packed auditorium as well, straying from the trend of most bullying stories. Ludington was bullied as a child and later became a bully herself.

“When I was young I was in a dance class, and my teacher told me that if I wanted to be a dancer I couldn’t look the way I do,” Ludington said.

“A girl overheard what the teacher told me and would say, ‘You can’t be a fat dancer,’ and that was hard to take.”

Ludington went on to describe another incident that helped to turn her from victim to bully.

“I had some friends over at my house in middle school, and one of the boys said, ‘Hey, your mom is so hot.’ So I responded, `I know,’ because she is,” Ludington said.“Then he said, ‘Why can’t you look like her?’ It broke my heart.”

Ludington felt that incidents like these were major contributing factors in her becoming a

bully in high school.

“I feel that for me I wasn’t happy with myself, I still felt ugly and fat in high school compared to everyone else that was around me,” Ludington said. “I wanted others to feel the way that I felt, even if what I said was a complete lie. I lashed out at those who I wanted to be and wanted to look like.”

The audience also was able to ask questions and comment following the diverse panel discussion, which highlighted several types of bullying.

Ohlone student Pete Noga admitted to the attendees that his story was a little different.

“Hearing all of these stories up here really makes me think, because growing up I was the bully,” Noga said. “I have been bullied in different ways, but usually I was the one who was the bully.”

A John F. Kennedy High School panelist touched on yet another form of bullying: Being called a lesbian and a dyke because she had befriended a female whose peers thought she was gay.

For most people, bullying just means some big kid telling a much smaller kid, “Hey, give me your lunch money, punk.”

Now, thanks in large part to social media, bullying con-

tinues to adapt and change its form in order to stay alive.

Posting nasty or disparaging comments on a peer’s social media page is one of the newer forms of bullying, proving that when things are on the verge of extinction, they will adapt to try and stay afloat.

Montgomery, for her part,

was proud that she was able to create a safe learning environment where people can learn from other people’s stories.

“My heart was sad and happy for those students that participated on the panel,” she said. “It showed courage and I could not have been more proud of them.”

Campus walk aimed at suicide prevention Continued from Page 1 and suicide; and provides support for survivors of suicide loss.

There is no charge to take part, but walkers must raise at least $100 to receive an official Out of the Darkness Campus Walk T-shirt.

Suicide is the secondleading cause of death for college students, and the third for youth ages 15-24, according to the Student Health Center. Undiagnosed or untreated adolescent depression is the No. 1 cause.

According to the 2010 Ohlone College National College Health Assessment Survey: - 2.3 percent of Ohlone students have attempted

suicide.

- More than 12 percent of Ohlone students received a lower grade on an exam, a lower grade in a course or dropped a course due to depression.

- Twenty-five percent of students have received mental health services from a mental health counselor.

- Eight percent of Ohlone students were diagnosed within the previous 12 months with depression.

- Twenty-one percent of Ohlone students have considered suicide, 5.5 percent within the previous 12 months.

To register for the walk, go to http://afsp.donordrive. com/index.cfm.

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MONITOR APRIL 3, 2014

FEATURES

Theater festival uses campus as set High School students use Ohlone Fremont campus as backdrop for acting out drama LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief Ohlone College last month hosted the 20th annual High School Theatre Festival, which was a huge success.

More than 850 contestants from 27 schools, some from as far away as Grass Valley and Fresno, arrived in pursuit of impressing the judges and taking home awards for their performances.

“It’s really not about the trophies and medals – students are looking for critique.

What did I do that’s really great? What do I need work on?” Ohlone theater instructor Michele Hartmangruber said.

“Then they can go back to their instructor and perfect their technique.”

Sean Okuniewiez and Gabriel Olagov managed not only to get critiques, but also nab a prize for their performance during the festival.

“Their one act from Zoo Story won second place overall in the competition,” said Arcadia Conrad, theatre program director of Cupertino Actors Theatre.

THE TONY AWARDS AND THE OSCARS ALL ROLLED UP IN ONE

TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR

Top: Things get physical as Cupertino High School students Sean Okuniewiez, left, and Gabriel Olagov act out a scene from “Zoo Story” by Edward Albee In March on the Fremont campus. Left: Okuniewiez and Olagov display some emotional range during another scene from “Zoo Story.” Right: Okuniewiez falls to the ground, overcome with emotion, during one of the final moments of “Zoo Story.”

Students were all over the Fremont campus performing and rehearsing, creating an almost surreal environment of drama.

“When I parked I saw some people in the parking lot arguing. Then I get up the stairs and there was all kinds of stuff going on,” Ohlone student Angela Vaughn said.

“They were everywhere – the Quad, the Palm Bosque – I mean everywhere. Campus is usually empty on Friday, so it was a little strange but very cool.”

The final judging took place on March 22. More than 90 judges offered feedback and constructive crticism, and named the winners for all the categories.

According to Ohlone, the festival has grown so much over the years that it has affectionately become referred to as “the Tony Awards and the Oscars rolled up in one.”

FEATURES

On the Road with MITCHELL WALTHER

Never a failure to launch No one told us this was going to be easy. Being scared of a “failure to launch” is a real thing. We spend so long focusing on where we want to go, the gap between here and there gets so big we never see it.

In a fast-moving culture, taking baby steps is an art form long forgotten.

Working up the ladder isn’t feasible because of the pain we feel when we’re reminded every day we aren’t there yet. That loathing feeling when someone asks, “So, what are you doing with yourself these days” comes from what we feel is expected of us, not what is truly required.

The truth is that no two measuring sticks are the same. Someone who is finishing up college ahead of his classmate is not better than someone taking his time and working as many job hours as he can.

Everyone’s lifeline is different and comparing the two misses the whole point of success.

No one ever “arrives” so no two people can be headed toward the same destination. The beauty of all these different paths is that none of us are competing with each other, and we can all help each other out. A failure to launch is only sustained if we never even try. If we give up, then we have our own battle to wrestle with, no one else’s.

Coming off of spring break and diving headfirst back into class can be rough. We can lose sight of our goals, especially after everyone comes home and we get to hear where their lives are headed. The best we can do is smile and be happy for everyone else, and in turn happy for ourselves.

We’re pursuing our visions and so are they.

Everything is right in the world so long as we simply don’t give up. The world will keep turning, and so will we.

MONITOR APRIL 3, 2014

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Ohlone to screen Harold Lloyd movie MONITOR STAFF Harold Lloyd’s classic silent comedy “The Freshman” will be screened Friday at Ohlone College’s Smith Center on the Fremont campus.

The 1925 film, about a college freshman’s efforts to be popular, was directed by Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor. Among other things, Lloyd joins the school football team as he strives to attain the approval of the student body at Tate University.

“The Freshman” was one of the most successful films for Lloyd, who made nearly 200 silent and “talkie” movies between 1914 and 1947.

Lloyd’s films often included long chase scenes and dangerous stunts, many of which the actor performed himself.

Bay Area organist Jerry Na g a n o, re t u r n i n g t o Ohlone for the third year as part of the Smith Center Season of the Arts, will provide the underscore.

Nagano is known as a concert musician and for his expertise in accompanying silent films on the organ. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he began his musical training at

COURTESY OF OHLONE COLLEGE

Above: Bay Area organist Jerry Nagano. Below: A still from Harold Lloyd’s film “The Freshman.”

age 10 under the tutelage of Gaylord Carter, one of the great silent film organists.

Nagano has performed for the past 12 years at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto.

“The Freshman” will screen at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and event parking is $2. Tickets are available online or at the Smith Center Box Office.

For more information, call the box office at 510659-6031 or go to www. smithcenter.com.

Black comedy impresses at Cinequest

MITCHELL WALTHER Staff writer The Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose has come and gone. More than 80 movies had their debuts there last month.

I had a chance to go see about 15 of them, and there was a lot of good stuff to see.

From movies about ’80s hair bands to serial-killing ambulance drivers, every genre was represented, and every outlet had a voice to be heard.

During the second week, I had a chance to go see “Lawrence & Holloman.”

Directed by Matthew Kowalchuk and starring Ben Cotton and Daniel Arnold, this “feel-bad comedy of the year” was an entertaining and fantastic satire on life itself.

Focusing on two salesmen, one a pessimist and one an optimist, this movie wove clever wordplay around an increasingly ridiculous tale of revenge and disgust.

Easily deserving the title

COURTESY OF AMELAND FILMS

Daniel Arnold, left, and Ben Cotton star in the film “Lawrence & Holloman,” which screened at the Cinequest Film Festival in San Jose last month.

of “dark comedy,” suicide and misfortune are played largely for laughs while this movie asks us to consider the weight of fate and friends in our lives. What it means to be happy and the consequences of such a pursuit are largely the themes at play.

With great performances all around, “Lawrence & Holloman” tugs on your heartstrings while barely giving you a chance to breathe between jokes.

As far as independent films go, this is one you should rent

if you have a chance. Pending a U.S. theatrical release, this Canadian-funded film is making its rounds from film festival to film festival.

If you didn’t get a chance to check out any of the movies

at Cinequest this year, many will find a home on Netflix in the coming months. And if you happen across it at your movie theater, be sure to step in and watch “Lawrence & Holloman.”

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MONITOR APRIL 3, 2014

Athlete salaries at an all-time high

LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief The first thing that came to mind when I heard about the contract extension the Detroit Tigers inked Miguel Cabrera to last week is why?

Why would you make an aging and increasingly immobile fielder the highest paid athlete in the world?

Why? Well, the answer is simple: because they can.

The local television deals and the revenue generated by the longest professional sports regular season, 162 games, allow deals like this to happen in baseball.

The Detroit Tigers will earn $110 million from their local cable television deal with Fox Sports Detroit, including money from Major League Baseball’s shared collective revenue.

That’s $110 million made in one season just from their television deal. This number does not include ticket sales, concessions or souvenirs – nothing except the television deal earnings.

The amount of money that the sport takes in is absurd, and in turn it results in contracts like the one that Cabrera received.

Cabrera was still under contract for two more seasons. However, the eightyear extension makes him the highest paid professional athlete in the world.

Cabrera was ranked No. 46 on Forbes magazine’s list of highest paid athletes for 2014, before the extension catapulted the veteran slugger and Triple Crown winner to the top spot.

Remember the last record-breaking contract that the MLB had the pleasure of

OPINIONS

being involved with?

The New York Yankees do, because they are still paying for it – to Alex Rodriguez, who was suspended in April 2013 for 211 games stemming from his involvement with a performance-enhancing drug lab in Florida.

The Yankees were responsible for $67 million of the remaining $179 million left on the record-breaking contract when they acquired him from the Texas Rangers in 2004.

The original deal was worth $252 million over 10 years, which the Yankees are in the final year of, finally.

With everything that has happened to Rodriguez over the life of the deal, it is safe to say that it was not worth it. Rodriguez has only won a single championship in his career with the Yankees and even now, during his suspension, he continues to rake in the dough, thanks in large part to the Yankees’ television deal generating a seemingly endless amount of money.

While players’ salaries are a direct reflection of the money that their team takes in, it doesn’t make them right or justifiable.

What about teachers who shape and nurture the minds of the future of the nation? Shouldn’t their salaries reflect the future earning of their students?

Or what about the construction worker who builds a structure that will generate so much revenue it is virtually uncountable?

Do they deserve to have their salaries reflected by the future earnings of what they created?

Professional athletes put their bodies on the line

CAMPUS COMMENT

MAGDALENA JURYS / MONITOR

and many pay the ultimate price later in life because of their profession, but why isn’t this practice applied to every job?

Many will say that there is no television network devoted to watching classrooms or construction projects and there are no concessions or ticket sales for said activities either.

It just seems outrageous to me that in a time when the economy is so bad and starving Americans line the streets that a man can be paid so much money to play

a game for children.

While I do understand where the money comes from, and why the salaries are the way they are, I just can’t agree with them being right or morally acceptable.

Major League Baseball and all sports should be forced to take a large percentage of that shared revenue and invest it back into the community and its workers, who provide the theoretical foundation for American society.

So, instead of giving a hard-hitting slugger or high-

flying dunker $30 million a year and then millions more in endorsement deals, give him $20 million and change lives with that other $10 million.

Most Americans will never see a fraction of what some professional athletes make in one game, let alone an entire year.

The rich will keep getting richer.

I just hope they don’t forget about all of the people supporting the base of their lifestyle, who deserve a piece of the shared revenue of life.

What do you think of the salaries that professional athletes make?

CRAIG BOYER Psychology

“They are justified because a large sum of their salaries come from fans paying” ALEX SHAMBAUGH Engineering

“The millions they get paid is too much for what they actually do” BELINDA GARCIA Psychology

“I don’t know. I think they make a lot. Maybe too much if you ask me” ISRAEL CARRERO Criminal Justice

“As a former athlete, I think they are paid way more than they should be”

ROLAND BALDWIN English

“A lot of athletes in lower leagues make pretty moderate wages. I think their salaries for the most part aren’t high”

SPORTS

MONITOR APRIL 3, 2014

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BASEBALL

Renegades defeat College of San Mateo 5-3

Ohlone improves to 21-6, sends Bulldogs home with a conference loss LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief First-year coach Mike Curran has the Ohlone College baseball team off to one of the best starts in school history.

The Renegades improved to 21-6 overall and 10-5 in Coast Conference play after defeating the visiting College of San Mateo Bulldogs 5-3 on Wednesday afternoon in Fremont.

“We didn’t play our best but we still found ways to

get the job done,” Curran said following the victory.

Jaramy Jacobs started the game for Ohlone, going four strong innings before running into some trouble and giving way to reliever Brady Moore.

Moore was brilliant in the relief effort, giving a different look to the Bulldog hitters with a sidearm type of delivery.

Moore picked up his sixth win of the season, improving to 6-1 overall and more importantly increasing the chances for postseason qualification.

“Brady Moore came in really throwing a lot of strikes,” sophomore Jacob DiThomas said.

“We just can’t let the um-

pires make calls. We have to be aggressive and make things happen.”

DiThomas earned a walk, driving in a run in the winning effort for the Renegades.

Sophomore Jacob Lopez also drove in a run for Ohlone, nabbing a single in the winning effort after striking out in his second plate appearance.

“Teammates will pick you up and it doesn’t really give you too much time to think about it,” Lopez said.“This was a great team win.”

Next up for the Renegades will be another home conference battle at 2:30 p.m. on Tuesday, when West Valley College travels to the Fremont campus.

TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR

Top: Ohlone catcher Josh Egan beats out a throw to first in the second inning of a 5-3 victory over College of San Mateo on Wednesday. Bottom: Jaramy Jacobs fires a strike to home in the first inning of a 5-3 triumph over College of San Mateo in Fremont on Wednesday afternoon.

SOFTBALL

Rain postpones conference showdown for Renegades LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief Riding a three-game winning streak, the Ohlone College softball team didn’t let a little bad weather distract them from their playoff focus.

The rain postponed Tuesday’s conference showdown with West Valley College until April 14, but that didn’t shift their focus either.

“We want to put another one of those championship circles on the fence for coach,” Morgan Meyer said.

The baseball and softball fields will be torn down and replaced by new facilities in 2015, making this the final season for both.

The Lady Renegades are doing their part to make sure that they first qualify for the coveted California State Playoffs, which begin at the end of the month.

Ohlone got a lot closer to the playoffs over the past

few weeks, compiling victories over San Jose City College, Monterey Peninsula College and Hartnell College, in that order.

The Lady Renegades are now 19-10 overall and 8-3 in Coast Conference competition.

Ohlone outscored their opponents in the three victories 25-16, which included a 14-6 drubbing of Monterey Peninsula.

“Sometimes things go our way and sometimes they don’t, but it is all about how you come back or move forward,” RaeAnn Garza said.

The last game for Ohlone in March was a bit of a different story – and much more dramatic.

The Lady Renegades pulled off a 5-4 walk-off victory, marking the 13th win of the season for the Ohlone hurler Garza.

Sophomore infielder Savanna Ulloa did most of the damage for the Lady Ren-

RYAN PARCHER / MONITOR

Jillian Ceccanti emphatically stomps on home plate following her second home run in March in Fremont.

egades, collecting two hits and driving in two runs in the winning effort.

Ulloa spoke about her role earlier in the season.

“I try and not let stuff get me down,” Ulloa said.

“Everybody fails, especially in sports. I just try to focus on what is next and

learn from my mistakes.”

Next up for Ohlone is a home game at 1 p.m. on Saturday when De Anza College travels to Fremont.

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SPORTS

MONITOR APRIL 3, 2014

SWIMMING

Got Me Feeling Some Type of Way with

Seven down

LOUIS LAVENTURE

Sports bliss

One to go

Next stop: championships

TAM DUONG JR. / MONITOR

Top: Fiona Greer displays excellent butterfly-stroke technique during a meet against City College of San Francisco last month in Fremont.

Middle: Greer shows she can freestyle as well during one of just two home meets this season for the Ohlone College swim and dive team.

Bottom: Swimmers from City College of San Francisco and Ohlone dive into action last month at the Fremont campus swimming pool.

Swim and dive team use regular season as training for conference championships LOUIS LAVENTURE Editor-in-chief Being an athlete generally comes down to two things: wins and losses.

Yet for the Ohlone College swim and dive team, winning and losing is irrelevant in the regular season, and meets are used as practice runs for the Coast Conference Championships, which will be held in

just two weeks.

“There are no team scores or anything like that. This all boils down to the conference championships,” Coach Gene Kendall said.

“The regular season and the meets are about much more than times and wins. They are really about evaluating your team and learning how to get better from mistakes as well as success.”

Ohlone is fielding one of the smallest teams that Kendall has ever seen during his tenure here at the college.

“We have about 10 peo-

ple right now when we had about 34 last year,” Kendall said. “We have quality swimmers, just not a lot. It limits what we can do.”

Swimmers are only allowed to compete in seven total events in relay and individual catergories which creates a different set of problems with such a small team.

“It really just depends on the year and if I think that we can compete at the conference championships,” Kendall said.

“Last year we had a really strong team so I took control of the events to make sure we were in the best

position. If we don’t have a chance then the swimmers have a lot more freedom in what they want to do.”

Ohlone has only one tune-up meet left before the conference championships begin on April 15.

They will travel to Hayward to compete in the Chabot College Invitational on Saturday.

The daylong event will provide a great advantage for Ohlone.

The conference championships are also being held at Chabot College this year, giving the Ohlone squad some much-needed familiarity with the pool.

This time of year has to make true sports fans nostalgic.

Wait, I think.

For decades, the beginning of spring has brought with it not only fresh flowers and pristine weather, but also some magic to this part of the year for sports.

College basketball is engrossed in madness with the final four teams slated to battle it out for national supremacy at the athletic monstrosity known as AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The Major League Baseball season began its marathon 162-game regular-season schedule stateside in grand fashion on national television, showcasing the iconic Los Angeles Dodgers.

Soccer is doing whatever it is that soccer does in Europe, highlighted by career seasons from the sport’s two brightest stars, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Even the National Basketball Association is in the prime part of the season, with fewer than 10 regular-season games remaining before the playoffs begin.

With all of the sports meeting at one time of the year, creating a plethora of options and scenarios for even the most casual of fans, I still yearn for the true national pastime.

Football.

The National Football League has undoubtedly surpassed all other sports in the United States as far as viewing, ratings and attendance.

The off-season transactions and dealings draw more attention and media buzz than some of the other so-called major sports’ most important events.

Case in point: Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel is in the midst of being drafted by an NFL team. His pro-day was attended by eight NFL head coaches, and all 32 teams were represented, as was just about every media outlet known to man, dominating sports coverage for days.

So while this is a great time of the year for sports, it still leaves that thirst for more that only the NFL can quench.